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Composed of 26 individual pieces and standing 3.5 meters high the so-called Deep Facade combines “the geometric freedom of 3D printing with the structural properties of cast metal,” to realize new possibilities in architecture.

Computational design + robots + 3D printers

The Master of Advanced Studies ETH in Architecture and Digital Fabrication (MAS ETH DFAB) is a year long program set up to explore computational design, robotic fabrication and 3D printing for construction. Deep Facade is the latest product of this program, and follows suit of an overarching project at the university called Digital Metal (Not to be confused with the Swedish metal 3D printer manufacturer of the same name).

In Digital Metal large scale metal parts are molded from aluminum using 3D printed sand casts. Computational techniques, that appear similar to generative design from the multiple versions in the video above, are used to create these parts based on set parameters, i.e. maximum edge length, minimum distance between lines etc.

With Digital Metal the MAS ETH DFAB team hope to create a revival of this old techniques. In an article for Dezeen, ETH Zurich senior researcher Mania Aghaei Meibodi explains, “With our approach using 3D-printed moulds, we make it possible and affordable again to fabricate bespoke structural metal parts — parts with unseen richness of detail and geometric complexity.”

Beau Jackson is Senior Journalist at 3D Printing Industry. With a longstanding commitment to the site's content, she is credited with producing more articles than any other author in its history. Well-versed in the latest 3D printing research and legal/regulatory challenges, her repertoire spans aerospace, automotive, maritime, medical and creative industries. She is a keen speaker and active representative of the company at key additive manufacturing events.